Four-way blocking clamp



g- 12, 1939 J. HOOGERHYDE 1,772,514

FOUR -WAY BLOCKING CLAMP Filed Sept. 19, 1928 EMU I /%ZW+%@M Fatenteci Aug. 1 2 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT- oFFIcE JAMES HOOGERHYDE, or BELMONT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR T0 NELS mnrnris'rnoim, or ROCKFORD, ILLINoIs FOUR-WAY BLOCKING CLAMP Application filed September 19, 1928. Serial No. 306,896.-

This invention relates to woodworkers glue clamps and has more particular reference to a four-way or plural-way blocking clamp for applying blocks on turnings, such 5 as table and buffet legs, pedestals, and similar pieces.

In the past. it has generally been the practice in the blockingof work to apply two blocks at a time to the opposite sides of the core piece because of the inability to handle more than that number of pieces with the clamps available. This, of course, meant very slow work and proportionately high labor cost. It furthermorenecessitated extra trimming operations in order to permit application of blocks tothe other sides of the core piece, which can .be avoided in the use of a four-wayblocking clamp where each of the four blocks is not only clamped to'the core piece but is also clamped against the neighboringblocks. It is therefore the principal object of my invention to provide a four-way blocking clamp of simple and practical construction, especially designed with a View to the speedy application of blocks to all sides of a turning-at one and the same time.

Another object of my invention is to provide a clamp having improved means for supporting and centering the core piece with relation to the clamp at the proper elevation with respect thereto to facilitate the appl1cation of the blocks, the same including improved means serving as stops for the blocks so that they can be dropped into place in the clamp about the core piece with utmost facility and are bound to be properly located w th respect to the core piece for application thereto.

The invention is illustrated inthe HCCOIH'.

panying drawing wherein- Fig. 1 is a view in vertical section on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2 of a four-way blocking clamp and its appurtenant core and block rests;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1, and i Fig. 3 is an insideview of one of the clamping jaws.

The same reference numerals are applied to corresponding parts throughout the views. The clamp comprises a cast-iron, hollow,

square frame 5 having lugs 6 on the four corners with bolt holes 7 therein for the fastening of the frame onto a tablev or other suitable support represented at 8. A four-sided frame is illustrated, the present clamp bein a four-way clamp, but it should be understood that the invention is not particularly limited to a four-way clamp but comprehends" broadly any plural-Way clamp. Clamping screws 9 are threaded through the four walls of the frame mid-way between the corners, as shown, and have clamping jaws l0 swiveled on the inner ends thereof and hand wheels 11 fastened on the outer ends thereof. The jaws 10 are suitably cast to provide slots 12 extending inwardly from the lateral edges thereof and defining laterally directed teeth 13, the inner faces of which are flat forabutment with the work to be clamped and the backs of which are provided with reinforcing ribs 14 suitably cast integral therewith.v

One pair of opposed jaws have the arrangement of teeth and slots shown in Fig. 3 and i reverse arrangement, so that the teeth of each jaw fit in the slots of the two neighboring jaws. The fact that all of the jaws areof identical form and that it is only necessary to dispose two opposed jaws in reversed r lation to the other two, end for end, makes it a simple matter in the production of the devices, the jaws being interchangeable one for another, andthe cost of the device is proportionately lowered. Obviously, theinterfitting of the jaws in the manner described enables the opening and closing of the clamp as the teeth of each jaw slide in and out in the slots of the neighboring jaws, and the jaws are thereby also held against turning with the clamping screws. The frame 5 is jaws to the fullest possible extent Without permitting disengagement of the jaws from one another.

In operation, the jaws 10 are opened suffijust large enough to allow the opening of the 1 ciently to permit easy entry of a core piece,

represented at C, and four blocks, represented at B B B andB as, for example, in the blocking of a table leg where turning is to be done," the blocks being in the nature of add-ons or build-ups, as is well known in the art of furniture manufacture. The

. blocks B and B it will he noted, are substantially of the same width as the core piece C, and the blocks B and B are of a width slightly less than that of the core piece plus the thickness of the two blocks B and 13 the object being that the four jaws when tightened will cause all four blocks to be pressed firmly against the core piece and the blocks B- and B will also be pressed firmly against the edges of the blocks B and 13,, so that neatly glued oints will be formed and the resulting turning will be correspondingly of a high grade and wo-rkmanlike character, In practice it will be evident that it is not necessary to back up more than two neighboring jaws of the four inorder to remove the work from the-clamp after the. glue has taken a set, and, for that matter, the next core piece and its four blocks can be-inserted into the clamp, and the blocks clamped into place, without neccssitating the manipulation or more than the two screws on the two clamping jaws that were previously backed away from the work. Operating the clamp in this way speeds up production. I The only time it is actually necessary to manipulate all four jaws is when the clamp. is being set to take larger or smaller work. It should be apparent from this description that the blockingofa piece canbe taken care of in less than half the time hitherto required, since all of the blocks are applied at one and the same time, instead of in two operations, and there is no necessity for the intermediate machining operation otherwise required, namely that of trimming oif projecting portions of the blocks applied to opposite sides of the core piece so that two other blocks can be ap plied to the other two sides. In working with the present clamp each block is not only cl'ampedtightly in place on the core piece but also against the neighboring blocks. The glued joints are hardly perceptible after the turning operation and not at allperceptiblc on the finishedpiece.

In, the. application of the blocks it is, of course, important that the same be located accurately, not only from the standpoint of meeting specifications but also from the standpoint of enabling the use of blocks barely'. longer than absolutely necessary for the turning to be made, allowing for fillets, so thatthere will not be too much waste. I have therefore provided means for supporting the core piece at the; proper elevation with reference to the clamp and means for supporting llhGgblOCliS in proper relationto the core piece, these means enabling the pieces to be dropped into, place without a. great amount of care, so thatv speedy production results, and the blocks are nevertheless very accurately positionedfor application to the core piece. As stated before, the work shown is a table leg,

the same being square and being arranged to be turned where the blocks B -lB. have been applied thereto, such. ornamentation being, of course,.common. The core piece C is arranged to be supported on a platform 15, the elevation of which is set according to specifications for the piece being handled. A stem 16, depending from the platform and slid ably received. in bracket 17 mounted on the frame 18, whereon the table 8 previously referred to is also supported, is arranged to be fastened in adjusted position by means of a set screw 19. A square collar 2 is adjus"- able in elevation with respect to the platform 15 on rods 21 sliuably received in holes in the platform 15 and arranged to be fastened in adjusted position by means of set screws 22. Square telescoping collars .3 and 24: are removably received in the collar 20 with the flange 25 of the collar 23 resting on the collar 20 and the flange 26 of the collar 24- resting on the collar 23. The opening in the collar 26 takes the smallest standard sized table leg, the opening in the collar 23 the next size larger, and the opening in the collar 20 the largest size aptto be encountered, so that the device will accommodate the full range of sizes of work, or at least a certain stated range of sizes. Now,it will be seen that the core piece I C when received in one of the collars is centered with respect to the clamp, besides being held at the proper elevation with respect thereto, and that shoulders are provided on all four sides. thereof onto which the blocks B -B can be dropped, it being assumed, of course, that care has been taken. to adjust the elevation of the collar 20 so that the blocks will be held at the proper elevation with respect to the core piece. There isabsolutely no guess-work involved in working with the device once the same has been set for a given job, and, of course, the work producec is bound to meet specifications and be absolutely uniform and of a truly workmanlike character.

It is believed the foregoing description conveys a clear understanding of my invention and of its various objects and advantages. certain specific details of construction. and arrangement, these are mostly for the purposes of illustration and are not intended to impose any restriction or limitation on the invention. The appended claims have accordingly been drawn to cover all legitimate modifications or adaptations.

I claim:

1. In a four-way clamp, a rectangular hollow frame, a clamping screw threading through each of the sides thereof at right andes to the others on adjoining sides of the frame and separately adjustable, and clampingjaws swivelled on thevinner ends of said screws, saidjaws having slots formed therein extending inwardly from the lateral edges While reference has been made to thereof and defining laterally directed teeth, the teeth of each aw being arranged in register with the slotsof two neighboring jaws whereby the jaws are guided on one another for sliding movement. v a

2. A clamp as set forth in claim 1 wherein the slots are uniformly spaced from top to bottom of each clamping jaw and are of uniform width, and the teeth arelikewise uniformly spaced and of uniform width, approximately corresponding to the width of said slots, all of the four jaws being of identical form so as to be interchangeable, two opposed jaws of the four being disposed in reverse relation end for end with respect to the other two opposed jaws so that the slots in the former register with the teeth in the latter, and vice versa.

3. A blocking device, comprising in combination a plural-way clamp, a platform be neath the same arranged to serve as a support for a core piece entered through the clamp, means for adjusting the relationship between the platform and the clamp, whereby to adjust the elevation of the core piece with respect to the clamp, a support below the clamp but above the platform forblocks entered through the clamp about the core piece, means for adjustingthe relationship between the support and the clamp and platform whereby to change the relationship of the blocks to the core piece, and means on the clamp for clamping the blocks to the core piece in the adjusted relationship.

4:. In adevice as set forth in claim 3 wherein the block support is disposed substantially concentric with the clamp, means on said support adaptable to different sizes of core pieces serving to hold the same centered approximately with respect to the clamp.

5. In a blocking clamp, the combination with a supporting frame of aclamp, a plat form disposed beneath the clamp arranged through the clamp, means for supporting said platform on the frame permitting ad justment of the elevation of said platform relative to the clamp, ablock support disposed over the platform and beneath the clamp arranged to have the core piece passed therethrough, said support being arranged to serve as a rest for the blocks entered through I the clamp about the core piece, means for mounting said support on theplatform 'per mitting the adjustment of the same in elevation with respect to the platform, and means on the clamp for clamping the blocks on the core piece.

6. In a device as set forth in claim 5 wherein the block support is disposed substantially concentric with the clamp, means on said support through which the core piece is arranged to be passed adaptable to different sizes of core pieces serving to hold the same centered approximately with reference to the clamp.

clamp,,said means comprising a plurality of telescoping. collars having different sized openings to take different sized core pieces,

all of said collars being provided with flanges on the upper ends thereof for supporting the same on one another and on the block support, the flange of the innermost collar providing shoulders on top of the same about the core piece entered through the collar for the seating thereon of the blocks to be applied to the core plece.

' 8. A I device of the character described comprising in combination a blocking clamp on a clamp support, a block support below the clamp arranged to have a core piece extended therethrough from the clamp and arranged to serve as a rest for the blocks disposed in the clamp about the core piece, a core support below the block support, and means for adjusting the supports relative to one another whereby to accommodate core pieces of different lengths and clamp the blocks. on the core piece at a desired point.

9. A. device of the character described comprising in combination a blocking clamp on a clamp support, ablock support in vertically spaced relation to the clamp and arranged to have a core piece passed therethrough from the clamp and to support blocks disposedin the clamp about the core piece, a core support disposed in vertically spacedrelation to the other supports, and

means for adjusting the supports with relation to one another whereby to accommodate J core pieces of different lengths and clamp the blocks on the core piece at a desired point. to serve as a rest for a core piece entered 10. A. device as set forth in claim 9 where- :inthe' block support'is' disposed substantially concentric with the clamp and is arranged to receive the core pieces in such a way that the same is centered approximately with respect to the clamp.

11. In a device as set forth in claim 9 wherein the block supportis disposed sub-' stantially concentric with the clamp, means on said support adapted to snugly receive differentsizes of core pieces and to hold the same approximately centered with respect to the clamp.

12. A device of the character described comprising in combination a blocking clamp and means for supporting the block support port having a block support disposed from one of the other supports so that it is vertically adjustable with reference to the clamp whereby to permit clamping blocks onto a core piece at the desired point.

13. A device of the character described comprising in combination a blocking clamp on a clamp support, a core support disposed below said clamp and arranged to have a core piece rest thereon and extend through the clamp, the one support being vertically adjustable with respect to the other to accommodate different lengths of core pieces, below the clamp having the core piece extending therethrough and arranged to support blocks disposed in the clamp about the core piece, and means for supporting the block support from one of the other supports so that it is l vertically adjustable with reierence to the clamp whereby to permit clamping blocks onto a core piece at the desired point.

14. A device as set forth in claim 12 wherein the block support is disposed substantially concentric with the clamp and has means thereon. through w rich different sized core pieces are arranged to be passed, the said means serving to hold the core pieces approximately centered with reference to the clamp.

' 15. The combination with a blocking clamp arranged to have a core piece passed therethrough and to have blocks disposed therein about the core piece, of a block support disposed below the clamp and substan- V tially concentric therewith arranged to have the core piece passed therethrough, said supa plurality of telescoping collars carried sized concentric openings for the reception of different sized core pieces, all of said collars being provided with flanges on the upper ends thereof for supporting the same on one another and on the block support, the flange of the innermost collar providing shoulders on top of the same about the core piece entered through the collar for the resting thereon of the blocks arranged to be applied to the core piece.

16. The combination set forth in claim 15 including means for supporting the block support so that it is vertically adjustable with reference to the clamp whereby to permit application of blocks to a core piece at the desired point.

In witness of the foregoing I aiiix my signature.

JAMES HOOGERHYDE.

thereby provided with different 

